Humans are known as disruptors to the natural ecosystem and the creatures living in it. Till day humans are responsible for the extinction of many animals, birds, plants all because of their selfish needs.
Either for food, development, or trade, humans have either made different animals extinct or now have caused them on the brink of extinction. Today we will look at a list of animals that had gone extinct from the earth due to the unfortunate activities of humans.
Animals who got extinct because of humans
1. Quagga
The Quagga was a uniquely patterned sub-species of Zebra, which looked more like Zebra from the first half body and Zebra from the back part. The quagga was known to live in African Plains, which attracted native people for its skin and meat.
When Dutch settlers came to African plains, they hunted down quagga in large numbers, making them decimated from roaming in large herds of 100s in the 1850s. The last wild quagga died in 1878, and the last captive quagga died in 1883, making the species extinct in few years.
2. Javan Tiger
Due to humans’ interfere, three sub-species of tigers have gone extinct in the last 12 years. The Javan Tiger had his homeplace in Java, Indonesia. But when people start settling and the population exploded, the natural habitat started losing the area to humans.
In the 1930s, 25% of Java was forest, and by the mid-1970s, the forest area accounted for only 10%. With that, hunting by soldiers and people brings down the population of the Javan tiger to near extinction. The last known Javan tiger was killed in 1984, making the subspecies extinct.
3. Falkland Islands Wolf
The Falkland Islands wolf was native land mammals of the area. They had no fear of humans. But, unfortunately, they also didn’t have any place to hide from humans. So humans started killing these wolfs for their fur, the safety of livestock, and sometimes even for fun.
When Charles Darwin arrived on the islands in 1833, he predicted the extinction of this unique species. By 1876, Falkland Islands Wolf was extinct species.
4. Atlas Bear
The Atlas Bears were used in gladiator events in Roman Empire times. It was the only easily found bear in Africa at that time. However, Roman Empire was mainly responsible for the bear’s extinction as these bears were captured for betting and fighting.
After the Roman Empire fall, these bears were hunted and were brings down to small fragments in the Atlas Mountains. Atlas Baers were captured for Zoos and collectors for their rarity, adding to more decrease in their numbers. In 1870, the last Atlas Bear was killed, and these sub-species got extinct.
5. Great Auk
Great Auk was a medium-sized, flightless bird resembling Penguins. These birds were all over the northern Atlantic ocean and lived on Northern-Eastern United States coastlines to Northern Spain.
The bird was a source of food for Native Americans and then coming new settlers. But the consumption of these birds increased as compare to their reproduction. Its species soon came on the verge of extinction, and the last of the species was shot in 1944. Then, finally, Great Auk was declared extinct in 1952.
6. Steller’s Sea Cow
Zoologist George Willhelm Steller discovered steller’s sea cow in 1741. The Sea Cow was one of the large and calm sea animals. The Sea Cow lived near the Commander Islands, North Pacific ocean.
The creature was slow. This became its significant weakness as European sailors started to hunt down it for its meat, skin, fat, and oil. Within 27 years of European laying eyes on it, it got extinct.
7. Thylacine/ Tazmanian Tiger or Wolf
Thylacine, or Tazmanian Tiger, was a natural predator in Australia for thousands of years. But it got competition from humans and Dingos, resulting in its extinction. When European settlers came to mainland Australia, they saw Thylacines as pests. So they started many bounty programs to cut down Thylacine’s population.
As a result, by the 1930s, they were instinct in the wild. Unfortunately, the last known Tanzmanian tiger died in 1936. But, till now, there are several unconfirmed reports of their appearance.
8. Caribbean Monk Seal
These monk seals lived in the WestIndies area and were very common during the 17th Century. But when travelers came to their natural habitat, their population started to decline. Further, commercial fishing added more to their declining population.
By the early 1900s, their sitings were very rare. The last known Monk Seal was killed in 1939. The last verified sighting of the Caribbean Monk Seal was in 1952. After that, they go extinct.
9. Dodo
The famous dodo, which also appeared in many cartoon movies and shows, is the most known extinct animal. They lived on a Mauritius island in the Indian Ocean. Dodos were big, flightless birds, and they reigned island with no predators on the island.
But their living habitat was disturbed by Dutch Settlers. Dutch bring animals like pigs, macaques with them. It just took 64 years for the birds to be wiped out by Dutch settlers completely. Then, finally, it was officially declared extinct in 1662.
10. Western Black Rhinos
The main reason behind their extinction is their horn, which was sold in black markets for million rupees. Black rhinos were poached for Horns, which supposedly had medicinal properties.
Though preservation efforts were taken in the 1930s, their population tends to decline even after that. In the 1980s, only a few hundred left living. In the 2000s only, 10 Rhinos were reported, which even get lowered to 5 in 2001. In 2011, Black Rhinos were declared extinct.
Bottom Line
You have just looked at the list of animals who got extinct because of humans. The names in the list are of few animals; many are on the way to get extinct. So it becomes our responsibility to support the cause of endangered animals. What’s the point of living, developing, and earn profit and money if it comes after killing some innocent.
Everything should be balanced. Don’t take the habitat of endangered animals. Further, support the cause to save these animals.
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